Reactions
by Akatsuki Child
Summary: During the war, Kronos takes Annabeth hostage to get the best of Percy. Her curiosity and attraction towards Luke's body lands her in a deadly situation with the Titan Lord.
1. Part 1

**Reactions**

**Part 1**

Carnage and wreckage was all that seemed to surround Percy anymore. Among the sleepless citizens of Manhattan were cars set on fire, buildings torn down, windows smashed, and hotdog carts overturned. It was a complete mess. New York, while confusing and crazy, had an organized system. But the system had been lost. Now, it was pure chaos.

For the demigods of Camp Half-Blood, it was difficult to fight Kronos' army. They were trying their best to not harm the mortals by moving them to safety, but with each moment they did this, the more pressing the dark army became.

It felt like a week since the war started, but in reality, it had only been about three days. Black clouds swirled overhead among the darkened sky as a chilling breeze rode through the area. Typhon was getting nearer and nearer to Mt. Olympus. Percy figured they had less than four days before he would get to the palace, and then it would be all over. Kronos would overtake the gods, and the world as he knew it would end.

He couldn't bear to let that happen. Having braved the Curse of Achilles, Percy found it his responsibility to handle as much fighting as he could. He could take the blows—both physically and mentally—better than anyone else could. He couldn't get wounded, and right now, that was their best defense.

Currently, he, Annabeth, and the Apollo campers were in a fray with about two hundred monsters, ranging from _dracaena_ to hellhounds. Percy was on a role—he was striking down monsters like there was no tomorrow (for all he knew, there _was_ no tomorrow), as if their armor was made of butter. He felt empowered. Nothing could stop him!

"Percy!" Annabeth yelled. "You've already routed them. Pull back! We're overextended!"

Annabeth watched, breathless, as he hesitated slightly. He stared off in the distance at something, causing his body to run stiff. Annabeth glanced up and faltered.

Luke…_No._ Kronos. He was there atop his skeletal horse, his intensely sharp, silver scythe strapped to his back. He was leading a small group of demigod reinforcements. They were the demigods who had turned and joined the Titan King. Annabeth felt no sympathy for them, no remorse at all.

She couldn't look away from Kronos. She could never get over the fact that he was using Luke's body. It was disgusting. It made her want to wretch and run up and kill him herself. But that would be extremely foolish, and undoubtedly, impossible. Instead, she clenched her jaw and steadied her hatred. Her grasp around her dagger tightened.

"Now," Percy spoke with a hint of anxiety, "we pull back."

Almost like the army had heard his words, the demigods unsheathed their swords and weapons. They charged with wild yells. Horses hooves clomped on the cement as those on horses rode ahead of the group of thirty. The Apollo campers launched a volley of arrows, but while it struck down a few, the rogue demigods kept coming.

"Go! I'll hold them!"

Percy braced himself for the onslaught of soldiers as the other campers tried to escape, uneasy about this new progression. Annabeth, however, took stance beside Percy. She held her dagger up along with her mirrored shield.

Percy growled. "What're you doing?"

Annabeth glowered. "I'm staying with you."

"No! It's too dangerous!"

"I'm not leaving you!"

Percy stared at Annabeth, incredulous. She stared back with an intense fury. She wasn't leaving. However, before he could protest more, a demigod tried slashing at his shoulder, only to have Annabeth's dagger block the attack.

The cavalry encircled the group, blocking off the few Apollo campers who hadn't been able to escape. Percy and Annabeth tried their best to not kill the demigods. While Annabeth held no compassion for the traders, she wouldn't allow herself to become a murderer. Percy was skilled enough that he was able to cut off the skeleton horses' legs off, causing them to disintegrate.

The circle around the two became tighter, completely cutting them off from help. Percy and Annabeth were back to back now as demigods pressed on them. They jeered and threw insults at the two, but they merely ignored them. Percy suddenly saw a black shadow pass over. He glanced up, only to be met with the dark figure of Blackjack. Porkpie was flying alongside him. They were swooshing around and kicking down some of the demigods.

Annabeth was feeling weary and nervous. They were going to be done for. There was no way they could fight off these demigods, especially since Kronos was nearby. An escape was impossible.

Suddenly, a figure dressed in all black, wearing an eye patch, stepped forward and thrust a sword towards Percy, his eyes intent on a spot on his back. Annabeth, eyes wide, jolted in front of the sword to block the attack. She cried out in pain and fell to her knees. She wouldn't allow him to hurt Percy, even if it meant wounding—or ultimately killing—her.

"Annabeth!" she heard Percy scream. She clutched her shoulder where blood was steadily falling from the cut. After a few seconds, her stomach dropped with realization. The blade was poisoned.

"Get back!" she mildly heard Percy yell. She was already starting to lose consciousness, but she tried to fight it as best as she could. She couldn't leave Percy like this.

Percy grimaced and glared at Ethan Nakamura, slamming his helm down on his head and causing him to fall back. He slashed a wide arc around Annabeth and himself. The demigods flinched away, taking a few steps back.

Unbeknownst to Percy, Kronos had leisurely strolled up to the duo, casually over-seeing the scene unfold. He now stood in the small circle as his followers made way for him. The Titan Lord stared down at the two with narrowed eyes. Percy glowered back, standing over Annabeth to protect her.

"Interesting," Kronos spoke. He dismounted his horse and grabbed his scythe. His voice had been deep and powerful. It was weird seeing Luke's mouth move, but not hearing his voice. It was spine-shuddering.

"Stay back," Percy spoke with deadly quietness.

The Luke look-a-like merely chuckled, amused. "You dare command me? Foolish, Percy Jackson."

He glanced down at the girl beneath his feet. Something stirred in the back of his mind. A memory from the boy's body he was using. He gritted his teeth and forced the memory away. This was no time for childish, human weaknesses.

"Bravely fought, but it's time to surrender…"

Suddenly, he twitched his fingers and Annabeth, now unconscious, flew from beneath Percy's feet to the Lord of Time's arms.

"…Or she dies."

Percy growled, his grip on Riptide tightening immensely. He had to stop Kronos from hurting her, but if he made an attack…she was as good as dead.

He glanced up at Blackjack and Porkpie, circling above. He could hear their soft whinnies. They were mumbling in his head about Annabeth, but he blocked it out. Right now, he needed a plan, but he was coming up short. He clenched his jaw and wracked his brains, but he was so worried about Annabeth!

Kronos saw the trouble brewing in the kid's eyes. He smirked. This was exactly what he needed: something to break Percy Jackson.

He shook his head, and Percy's head snapped up, glaring fiercely. "It's too bad," Kronos cooed. "She really was…beautiful…"

Percy growled in rage and slashed his sword in an angry attempt to harm the Titan, but Kronos merely twitched his fingers again. Immediately, Percy's attack slowed to almost immobile. He couldn't move his body at all. Kronos had him frozen in time.

Kronos glowered at the fifteen-year-old. "You may now bare the Curse of Achilles. I may not be able to strike you down, but I can use your weakness against you. I'm taking the girl with me."

Percy just stared murderously, trying to break the magical bonds he had been put under. He fought with all his might, his muscles tensing and straining to move. He watched helplessly as Kronos mounted his horse, slinging Annabeth in front of him on the horse. She was lying on her stomach with her arms and legs dangling off each side of the skeleton.

Kronos gave Percy one last smirk. "Either she dies so you can try to save your pitiful world, or you surrender and die to save her. It's your pick."

And with those final words, he strode off on his horse, Annabeth in tow. Percy watched, horrified, as he took Annabeth with him, her blonde curls disappearing.

Suddenly, his body collapsed as he was released from Kronos' spell. He fell to the ground, Riptide clattering beside him. The demigods grinned viciously, preparing to close in. However, Percy just gave them cold looks of hatred. He was so tempted to slash at them and kill them. It's not like they could hurt him…

He swallowed hard and did his best taxi-cab whistle. Immediately, Blackjack swooped down, startling and knocking over about ten demigods. Percy hopped on the Pegasus and the two flew high into the air. Percy noticed that the Apollo demigods had escaped and were firing arrows back at the intruders while running back to base.

Percy soared around the buildings, searching the grounds for Kronos and Annabeth.

But he was nowhere to be found.

He gave an enraged yell, frightening Blackjack and causing him to dip suddenly.

_Boss…we'll find her…_Blackjack transmitted to Percy's thoughts. Percy's jaw clenched.

"We will," Percy agreed fiercely. "Or I'll die trying."

* * *

><p>Annabeth groaned as she started coming to. She had a splitting headache, and her body felt like it weighed one thousand pounds. Her lips were chap and her throat was screaming for water. However, her shoulder was the biggest pain on her persona. It felt on fire, and she gasped from the immense pain.<p>

That's when the memories hit her. She remembered the demigods and Ethan's attempt to kill Percy. She remembered when he stabbed her, and then…nothing. Looking back on it, stepping in front of that blade had been idiotic and stupid. Percy was invulnerable, and the chances of Ethan actually getting the one spot that made Percy human…Still, she had this gut-wrenching feeling that she couldn't ignored, and she went with her instincts.

And now here she sat, with an aching body and inflamed shoulder, sitting in…

Where?

Annabeth realized she had no idea where she was at. Her eyes snapped open, but instantly she regretted it. Her eyes were sensitive to the light, and right now it was killing them. However, she pushed through it, and eventually, her eyes adjusted to the bright light.

She was staring at some florescent lights on the ceiling. She slowly sat up, ignoring the excruciating pain erupting in her shoulder and pretty much her whole body. She was panting hard as she looked around, examining her surroundings.

It looked vaguely familiar…she felt she had been here before…There were snack machines pushed against the walls, and one had even tipped over and the glass had broken. It looked to have been ransacked because most of the food was gone. Wooden picnic tables had been smashed or pushed to the side, and when she looked down, Annabeth realized she was lying on one of the few that hadn't been demolished.

Then, she caught sight of the statues, and that's when she realized exactly where she was. There was no mistaking the statues of shocked mortals, of the innocent Uncle Ferdinand. Aunty Em's Garden Gnome Emporium. Most of the statues had been vandalized and part of the roof had caved in, allowing some cold air to breeze through the room.

Why the Hades was she here?

Suddenly, there was a dark, cold, amused chuckle. Annabeth froze, barely breathing.

"I see you are finally awake."

Slowly, Annabeth turned her head. Between two snack dispensers sat the Lord of Time on a golden throne. His scythe was lying in his lap, and he was wearing jeans and a black t-shirt. To Annabeth, he looked almost like the old Luke. Her breath caught in her throat, but then she looked up into his eyes, and she remembered exactly who he was.

Instead of the warm, easy golden-brown shade Luke's were, Kronos' eyes were molten gold. They were evil and deceptive, full of dark wishes and desires. He was nothing like Luke. They only thing they shared was his body.

Annabeth steeled herself, glaring as best as she could at him while sweating a storm from her injury. She must have looked pretty pathetic.

Kronos was smirking at her, his eyes fixated on her form. As she lay there, he couldn't help but stare. This boy…Luke…he had held feelings for this girl. It was annoying to the Titan King. He was experiencing the same feelings that Luke had about this girl. Every memory Luke had experienced with this insolent girl was forced to the forefront of his mind. He absolutely detested it. Granted, she was interesting. How was it that she was the key to distracting Jackson? Was she truly that special to him? Kronos was going to figure out why.

Suddenly, a flash of Luke's angry face appeared in his mind, and the boy started cursing. Kronos winced, but then slammed the end of his scythe into the ground, causing a slight rumble around the building. No. That insufferable boy didn't own this body anymore. Kronos did. Still, it was hard to ignore the fact that Luke remained in the subconscious of this body.

He steeled his expression, smirking jauntily again at the trembling girl.

"W-why am I here?" Annabeth braved to ask. She held her chin up, despite the immense ache.

"Good question," Kronos answered cryptically. He stood up and strode over to the picnic table on which she resided. He twirled his deadly weapon around like it was merely a twig. Annabeth swallowed hard, eyeing the sharp blade as he approached her, circling the table and examining her.

"Why is that taking you was the next best thing to killing Percy Jackson?" he murmured loud enough for her to here. He watched in delight as she flinched, but then winced from the injury on her shoulder. Apparently, Ethan's blade had been poisoned, not that it mattered to Kronos. In fact, it worked to his advantage.

"Why is that Jackson would be willing to risk the world for you? Why does he care so much for you?"

At this point, he had stopped before her. His cold hand snatched out and grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him. She whimpered slightly and tried to pull away, but he only tightened his grip with a growl, digging his fingers into her cheeks.

Staring at her face, he mumbled, "What makes you so special?"

Annabeth clenched her eyes shut. Her whole body was shaking with fright and pain. Kronos seemed to realize this. He snarled and wrenched his hand away. He stepped back and stared down at her with disgust. He'd only gotten that close to her because of _him_.

Kronos turned around, striding back to his throne. "Until I figure that out, you're my hostage. And if I don't figure it out before I take over Olympus…" He smirked at her, plopping down in his golden seat. "Well, there's really no more need for you, is there?"

She stared, wide-eyed, at this cruel being before her with a shocked expression. He merely laughed. It was dark, deep, and cruel—emotionless. It bellowed throughout the room and resonated through her body.

Suddenly, two _dracaena_ guards appeared. They slithered to the table she occupied, hissing and snarling at her. Annabeth desperately wished for her dagger or shield now, but with an injured shoulder and absolutely nothing to use as a weapon, she was as good as gone.

She shut her eyes, anticipating the onslaught that was sure to come. This was the end for her. However, the two snake women just grabbed her arms—yanking her shoulder—and tried pulling her to her feet. She screamed out in pain, an agonizing, blood-curdling scream that resounded like Kronos' laugh. Said man just grinned viciously and darkly as he watched the blonde being dragged away, her screams echoing throughout the building.

Finally, he was left to himself. However, instead of feeling peaceful, he felt slightly troubled. He frowned as the last of Annabeth's screams were suppressed. Luke's feelings were breaking through again. Kronos felt a bit of sadness engulf him, along with agony from Annabeth's screams. He gritted his teeth and ran a hand through his shaggy hair (Luke's habit, not his).

Suddenly, Prometheus appeared before the Titan Lord. He was about seven feet tall and the expression on his face was one of boredom. He bowed slightly.

"You summoned me, milord?"

Kronos pushed Luke away. Instantly, he straightened up, regaining control of the body. He smirked. "Indeed. I have a mission for you."

The fire-stealer merely raised his brow, his scars above his eyebrows stretching. "Yes?"

"If I do recall, your sister-in-law opened a certain _pithos_ some eons ago, correct?"

Kronos flicked his hand. Prometheus suddenly got an uneasy feeling that settled at the bottom of his stomach. He refused to let it show on his face, however, as he stared at Pandora's pithos (or _box_, as the mortals called it).

"Strike a white flag with Jackson," Kronos commanded as the deadly storage jar floated into the hands of Prometheus. "Take two others with you as back up. Tempt him with the jar. Surely now that his little girlfriend is gone, giving up hope will be much easier."

Prometheus looked at the Lord of Time as he smirked in a most sinister way. Prometheus was the Titan of forethought. He had an idea of how this was all going to turn out. Kronos was stronger than the last war. Granted, he was stuck in a human body with human limits (Achilles Curse or not). But by all means Luke Castellan's body wasn't weak.

Kronos had the upper hand in this war. He had strength in numbers: monsters of all kinds, rogue, bitter demigods, and almost all the minor gods that felt belittled. Not to mention, there was Typhon, and the gods themselves were fighting amongst each other. It was a recipe for disaster, and Prometheus knew that Kronos would come out on top.

That's why he'd chosen to follow Kronos. Yes…revenge on Zeus would be sweet. Then he could see how painful and terrifying it was to have vultures scratch at his face every day for all eternity (thank heavens for Hercules). He had a soft spot for the heroes, but he knew they weren't going to survive. And now that Kronos had the upper hand on _Jackson_, it seemed like he had sealed the deal on fate.

Prometheus smiled and bowed again to Kronos. "As you wish, milord."

Kronos watched as the fire-stealer retreated out of the room, leaving him to his own devices. If everything played out right with Prometheus and Jackson, the boy would be surrendering tonight. A large, evil smirk played on his face. Victory was most definitely sweet.

* * *

><p>Annabeth sat panting in the dark. The two <em>dracaena<em> had dragged her into a damp, cold cell on the third floor. She didn't even know there was a third floor to this building. Her shoulder had been jarred and yanked by those damn monsters, so the wound had been reopened. She wondered, vaguely, if someone had healed the poison from her shoulder because she could barely feel it anymore. But no one here would heal her.

The child of Athena sat on the stone floor, dirt covering her arms. She was trying to put pressure on the wound to stop the blood flow, but every time she touched it, a new round of pain squealed on her. She gritted her teeth, grinding them together. She forced her hand on the wound and cried out in pain, panting and sweating.

Suddenly, the door to her cell creaked open. She glanced up, but instantly scowled. Ethan Nakamura strode in, a glare adorning his face. There was a nice black and blue bruise on his face, probably from Percy.

He stopped a few feet away from her, staring at her with a mix of pity and disgust. Annabeth pushed herself up against the wall to a sort of standing position. She was bent over slightly, grasping her arm under the wound.

"Why the hell are you?" Annabeth snarled. Normally, she wouldn't have used a mortal curse, but right now she didn't care for formalities.

Ethan snarled back. "I was ordered to fix your arm up. So you at least don't die before your audience with milord."

"You bastard," she growled. "You were idiotic to follow him. He'll only destroy you once he's done with you."

Ethan shook his head. "You don't get it. I'm not doing it for him."

"Then for who?" she asked, exasperated.

He narrowed his eye. "It's none of your business."

He took another step towards her, but Annabeth wasn't going to let his slimy hands fix the wound that he bestowed upon her. She lashed out with her leg quick as lightning, but Ethan was two steps ahead of her. He latched onto the foot that tried to strike him and twisted it, slamming her to the ground.

Annabeth screamed as he grabbed her arms and pinned them behind her back. She squirmed to get away, but he had a firm grip.

"You don't know what you're dealing with, Annabeth," he said angrily. It was the first time he'd called her by her name.

"You mean we're not fighting a masochistic Titan planning to take over the world?" she growled. "Then enlighten me."

She swung out again and kicked his legs out from underneath him. She rolled away, ignoring her shoulder. She jumped to her feet just as Ethan pulled out a blade.

"Enough!" a voice boomed. Suddenly, everything froze. Annabeth and Ethan were paralyzed. They couldn't move anything.

Out of nowhere, Kronos appeared. He was sporting a grimace, staring at Annabeth's bloodied arm and Ethan's bruised face. There was a new gash on his cheek from when he scraped it on the stone floor.

"Ethan," the time-controller spoke. If Ethan could have flinched, he would have. "You are needed elsewhere."

With a wave of his hand, the child of Nemesis disappeared.

Annabeth was left with the Titan now. He snapped his fingers and everything was in motion again. She fell from her stance, her knees buckling from underneath her. Without thought, the Titan King lurched forward and caught her before she fell.

Annabeth felt her cheeks flush. She stared up at the powerful being with a mix of confusion and disgust. Kronos must have realized what he'd done too, because he suddenly flinched back as if she were the Black Plague. His eyes glowered dark and deadly as he stared at her. Annabeth fell to the ground without the support, trying to figure out what the hell had just happened.

Kronos stared down at her with something akin to anger and surprise. Was this why the girl was so special to both Luke and Percy? She had affected the two boys in a way that not most people could. She appeared to be just a regular female, but something had drawn the demigod boys to her.

Kronos rolled his eyes. For all he knew, the two had just been infatuated with her looks.

Annabeth stared up at the evil Luke, who hadn't spoken since dismissing Ethan. She felt her heart stutter at the sight of him. But his eyes…they were molten and dark. They weren't Luke's.

She clenched her jaw. "What do you want with me?" she ground out.

Kronos blinked and watched as she sat up against the wall. She was definitely interesting….she just never gave up. He snapped his fingers, and instantly Annabeth felt relief in her shoulder. She looked and found bandages wrapping nimbly around her arm.

"Wha…?" she mumbled in shock, watching them at work.

"I'm merely doing the job Ethan failed to do," Kronos announced. He turned and started to stroll away slowly. "I can't have my hostage dying. Then there would be no use of you to threaten Jackson—"

Suddenly, he froze, trailing off. A thought had occurred to him. His lips twitched in a smirk, but he wiped it away.

"However," he spoke quietly. He cocked his head to the side to look over his shoulder at her.

"As long as he's under the pretense that you're alive…" Kronos slowly turned and walked towards her. Annabeth trembled, eyes wide as she pushed herself against the wall.

He crouched down on the balls of his feet and grabbed her chin like he had earlier. He was close to her now, his breath washing over her face.

"…well, you don't _have_ to actually be alive…"

Annabeth squeaked. He chuckled amusedly, watching as her eyes flashed with fear and anger. The smile on his face slowly fell though. He held the same brooding expression that Luke always held. His grip on her chin loosened. Annabeth's breathing steadied out a bit.

She watched as the Titan King seemed to have a battle with himself. At one moment, he looked like he really _was_ going to kill her. But then just as quick, there was apprehension and hesitation.

Finally, he sighed and shook his head slightly. "No, I won't kill you. You're too pretty."

He patted her cheek and then stood up, stalking out of the room without another word. Annabeth stared in wonder and confusion. Again, she had to ask herself—_what the hell just happened?_

* * *

><p>Kronos was furious. He had stormed out of the building to the field of pitiful statues and was now blasting statues with his scythe, swinging the deadly weapon around. His followers watched in surprise and fear. No one dared to speak up as they watched their leader curse and destroy a couple of mortals that had looked at Medusa's eyes.<p>

Why had he let her live? Luke was partially the reason why, yes. But something else…he growled and blasted a satyr. He had felt something. _He_, not Luke, _he_ had felt something. By no means was he harboring feelings for her. He gave an incredulous snort. He, with a mere demigod? The enemy, nonetheless. It was a ridiculous thought.

But it was there. He'd felt _something_ that made him pause. It made him rethink about her position as his hostage.

And then he called her pretty.

Kronos suddenly stopped blasting statues. He stood motionless in the carnage (_'if only Jackson were this easy to kill…'_), analyzing something.

While he felt idiotic and foolish for calling her pretty to her face, he had discovered something most interesting. Once he had gotten close to Annabeth and touched her (he shuddered slightly), Luke had receded away. He had disappeared, most likely from shock. Either way it had shut the Castellan boy up, and the Titan King had regained better control of the body.

Kronos smirked, like he was sharing a devilish secret with himself. _Interesting…_

His army watched as he strolled off back towards the building, like it was just a regular day and he was going on his usual stroll, like he hadn't just destroyed half of the land.

Interesting indeed.

* * *

><p>Percy stood staring out the window of the hotel that the demigods had taken as base camp. Each floor held a number of demigods, wounded or not, resting. But not Percy. He was staring out at the dark night sky, looking in the direction of New Jersey, where Annabeth lay in the clutches of Kronos.<p>

Percy's hand clenched together. He hadn't been able to relax since she'd been taken earlier that day. He had wanted to charge their base and get her back, but Thalia had stopped him.

"_Think of Annabeth. If we went, they would just kill her."_

Percy had to give her that one, but then what were they to do? They couldn't just sit around and do nothing!

Suddenly, there was a hand on his shoulder. He glanced back and saw Thalia giving him a small smile. He sighed and turned back to the window. The Huntress Lieutenant shifted beside him, facing him with her arms crossed.

"She'll be fine, Percy," she spoke softly. "She's Annabeth. She's more than smart enough to keep herself alive in there."

Percy didn't say anything. He knew she was right, but that didn't erase his worry for her. He cared too much for her. What if it didn't work out, and she _did_ die? His stomach lurched at that thought. He pushed down the bile threatening to escape.

"I just feel so…"

Suddenly, something started to materialize on the thick ledge in front of them. Percy stared in disbelief as Pandora's box suddenly appeared.

"_Keep Elpis, if you wish. But if you decide that you have seen enough destruction, enough futile suffering, then open the jar. Let Elpis go. Give up Hope, and I will know that you are surrendering."_

Percy recalled Prometheus' words. He snarled, opened the window, and pushed the dreaded thing off the ledge. The two watched as, just before it crashed on the ground, it disappeared.

Thalia smirked and turned back to Percy, who held a determined look on his face. He wasn't going to give up on her. He would get her back _and_ save Olympus.

"Get some rest," she smiled, patting his shoulder. "You're going to need it."

* * *

><p>Prometheus sighed to himself as he and Ethan, along with the <em>empousa<em> who had accompanied them to the white flag truce, watched Kronos pace in front of his golden throne. Prometheus had done exactly as Kronos asked. He gave the pithos to Percy. He had also mentioned Annabeth. He felt bad for Percy (he had a soft spot for heroes ever since Hercules was kind enough to free him from that wretched rock). He'd given Percy a chance to surrender and save himself. He'd done the exchange for Percy, not for Kronos.

Kronos stopped and glared at Prometheus, and said man just merely raised a brow. "He's taken the jar, but I fear, milord, that he won't open it. He's tougher than you think."

The Luke look-a-like sighed and collapsed in his throne, rubbing his forehead. "I feared this."

Prometheus suddenly gained a thought, and he chewed it over for a minute.

"Drachma for your thoughts, brother?" Kronos asked sarcastically.

The fire-stealer gave a dry smile. "The girl…"

Kronos stopped, staring at him, waiting for him to continue. "What about her?"

"You know she's the key to bringing down Percy Jackson."

"You should just kill her," Ethan spoke bitterly.

Kronos raised a brow, irked at his notion. "And you," he spat back harshly. "Would you have the guts to kill her?"

Ethan's eye widened.

Kronos stood up and lumbered towards the boy. "After everything you've done to Jackson, do you think he would show you anymore mercy if you killed his girlfriend? Would you have the strength to fight him back?"

Ethan looked away, blushing slightly from anger. "No, milord. It's was merely a suggestion."

"Well keep it to yourself," he snapped, returning to his throne. "I would love to kill the girl," he lied, "but then we wouldn't have any bait. Right now, we're simply trying to draw Percy out of hiding. Wait for him to mess up."

Normally, everyone was too afraid of the Titan King to ever really pay attention to him. They only prayed they wouldn't get blasted, only talking when spoken to. However, Prometheus wasn't nearly as afraid as the demigods. He had been studying Kronos when he contradicted Nakamura, and something about him was…off.

His brows had been furrowed and he had frowned, like he was immensely against the idea of killing the girl. He'd seen a shimmer of hesitation. Something had held him back from agreeing. Whether that was because of Luke, he wasn't sure. But he did know one thing.

"Hmm…" Kronos hummed, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "I may have to pay a visit to Jackson soon…"

Prometheus saw that something had faltered inside of Kronos. Suddenly, he wasn't so sure he had picked the right side.

* * *

><p><strong>This is obviously something different, but I've actually had this idea for a few years now. It's going to be either a two-shot or three-shot, depending on where I go with this. Also, I did includerewrite some of the scenes from the book. Thanks for reading and review please!**

**-Akatsuki Child**


	2. Part 2

Recap:

_"Hmm…" Kronos hummed, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "I may have to pay a visit to Jackson soon…"_

_Prometheus saw that something had faltered inside of Kronos. Suddenly, he wasn't so sure he had picked the right side._

* * *

><p><strong>Reactions<strong>

**Part 2**

Suddenly, Kronos stopped. With all the crazy thoughts and ponderings going through his head, one thing stuck—why had Annabeth stepped in front of Jackson…if she knew he was invulnerable?

"Hmm…" he hummed, turning around to stare at Ethan. The young demigod stared back with a wide eye, the blackish bruise still showing on his face as if it were permanent. Ethan felt a sliver of fear slither down his spine to pool in his stomach as the Titan Lord crept towards him with slow steps, a calculating look on his scarred face.

"Tell me, Nakamura…what happened last night on the Williamsburg Bridge?"

Sweat broke out on Ethan's forehead. "W-what do you mean?"

Kronos snarled and clenched his teeth. "When you attacked Jackson," he bit out, "something happened. Something was not right. The girl got in the way and took the blow for herself."

Ethan's brow furrowed. "She wanted to save him…"

"But he is invulnerable…" Kronos mused mostly to himself, turning back towards his throne.

Prometheus, meanwhile, was mentally outweighing the new possible outcomes of the war. He found himself a bit nervous when he saw Kronos' hesitation. If Kronos had a soft spot for this girl and let her free…taking her hostage would have been for nothing. Annabeth was the key to getting Percy Jackson to surrender. If he let Annabeth go (and Prometheus had a sickening feeling that he was going to do just that) then their fight would get that much harder. Giving her back to Jackson would only boost his confidence and give him more incentive to kill Kronos. And if Kronos fell, then they were as good as gone too.

The fire-stealer bit the inside of his cheek at this revelation. He glanced at the Lord of Time, who was thinking deeply about something as he paced in front of his throne again. At this point, the outcome of this war would depend on Kronos' feelings (or, for that matter, Luke's influence on him). Prometheus knew Luke still resided in the subconscious of the body, occasionally slowing Kronos down. If Luke were able to control him, for just a moment so Annabeth could get away…

Ethan resisted the urge to sigh. "I can't explain it, sir. Maybe she forgot."

Kronos narrowed his eyes and stopped pacing to glare at the demigod. "Yes, that must've been it. _Oh dear, I forgot my friend is invulnerable and took a knife for him. Oops."_ Kronos rolled his eyes as Ethan winced. "Tell me, where were you aiming when you stabbed at him?"

Ethan frowned and shook his head. "I don't remember. I wasn't aiming for any particular spot. It happened so fast."

Kronos pursed his lips together, absently glancing up towards the ceiling, knowing that Annabeth was up on the third floor. He suddenly growled, snatched his scythe, and stomped out of the room without another word.

Ethan visibly relaxed, but then stiffened again, knowing he could never fully let his guard down around here. He glanced over at Prometheus, who now looked nervous and unsure of something.

"What's wrong with you?" the one-eyed boy asked suspiciously.

The Titan of forethought glanced at him before shaking his head. "An inconvenience, is all."

With that, he turned his back on the boy and strode out of the room, pondering his chances of being able to join Jackson's side.

* * *

><p>Kronos treaded up the stairs to the third floor where the girl resided. He still had to deal with her for many reasons. First off, he needed to see if he could weasel her into telling him Jackson's weak spot (whether by torture or…other means). Second, he needed to see if his theory was correct (was she the key to suppressing Luke?). Thirdly, and the most unimportant, he needed (but mostly <em>wanted<em>) to figure out why Annabeth Chase was so tantalizing to the boys. And, quite frankly…to himself.

Once at her cell, he stopped outside of the door to compose himself. He adorned a slight smirk as he slowly opened the door as it creaked on its hinges.

However, the smirk fell from his face to be replaced by a brooding expression, the one Luke always held. Annabeth was slumped in the corner against the cold, dirty wall. She was asleep. Her breathing was labored and her brows were furrowed together as she sat there in a tight ball.

Kronos frowned slightly and slowly made his way towards her. He crouched down before her, using his scythe as leverage as he stared at her. He was a foot away from her, but it was close enough to affect him—and Luke. Kronos felt Luke flash to the forefront of his mind. For a second, he saw the girl through his eyes—the one who ran away at eight years old and traveled with him and that daughter of Zeus. The one who looked up to him and adored him.

Kronos sucked in a breath as Luke was suddenly repressed, like he voluntarily ran away. He felt sorrow and pain sweep throughout his body, nearly shaking him to the core. He felt…regret in his stomach. But it wasn't his regret. Not fully. It was mostly Luke's regret for leaving. For betraying her.

The Titan Lord clenched his teeth together and shut his eyes tight, pinching the bridge of his nose. This was preposterous. He needed to do his bidding and defeat Jackson. There was no room for this touchy-feely crap.

With that, he abruptly stood up and slammed his staff on the floor. It echoed loudly throughout the room, causing Annabeth to jump awake. Being a fighting demigod since she was eight, she went on instinct and landed in a fighting stance (she desperately missed her dagger). However, she found (to her immense disgust) Kronos was standing before her with an amused expression as he stared at her. She scowled and dropped her stance a bit.

"Made your decision to kill me or not?" she asked harshly.

Kronos chuckled. "You know, _girl_, it's not wise to ask your enemy such questions. Or, for that matter, fall asleep in their clutches."

He watched as her faced flushed red with embarrassment. "So then what do you want?" Annabeth asked, crossing her arms and turning away slightly.

Kronos watched her with dark eyes. Time to test his theory and get his answers. He took a slow step towards her. Annabeth's eyes flashed to his body in an instant, following his every move as he closed the distance between them. She didn't like this one bit.

"W-what're you doing?" she fumbled, taking a step back—into the wall. She wasn't sure what to do. She felt her heart pounding in her chest as the body-stealer stepped closer and closer. It was strange. She was attracted to Luke and his body—she always had been—but for some reason she found herself attracted to…well, _Kronos_.

He hadn't killed her yet, which sort of meant something to her (though she was positive he had ulterior motives for keeping her alive). But more than that, she found her curiosity getting the better of her. She had only talked to him two other times, and both times she was able to discover the little things about him.

For instance, when he got really upset with someone, his lips twitched into a sneer and his right eyebrow would rise. When he was calculating or thinking of something, his brows would furrow slightly and he would give a small frown. When he was amused, the left side of his lips twitched up as a sort of smirk and his face would be relaxed.

She found it intriguing that a Titan could be so…normal.

But, she contradicted herself, most of the things she noticed about Kronos were knock-offs of the stuff Luke used to do. For example, Luke would always run his hand through his hair when he was worried or frustrated. Annabeth had seen Kronos do that a couple times already. Also, the way he would rub at his scar when he was thinking deeply about something.

All these things that Annabeth had seen—things _Luke_ did—caused a heap of pain in her heart. It was his body, his looks, his voice to an extent…but not him. It was Kronos. However, all these things also gave her _hope_. Luke was still in there, somewhere. If Annabeth could get a hold of him…she may be able to help save everyone.

The Titan Lord stared into her stormy eyes drenched in fear and…curiosity?

He frowned and stopped a step away from her. He could feel her body heat and smell her lemon-scented shampoo. Oddly enough, he felt his heart skip a beat. He swallowed thickly and bent his head to stare down at her.

"Why are you so special to them?" he asked himself aloud. His voice was a mere murmur, but it resonated within his throat with Luke's deep voice.

Annabeth felt the warmth seep into her skin. She took a shaky breath but refused to look in his golden eyes. She was so frightened, afraid to even move. But she wanted to get closer to him.

Kronos licked his lips. These were his own feelings, his own desires. But Luke was influencing them. The boy's own feelings for this girl were mixing and mingling with his own, making it almost impossible to be uninterested in Annabeth.

Without thinking, his hand slowly came up to brush over her cheek. Out of reflex, Annabeth flinched back, but where Kronos had touched her, butterflies exploded and her skin tingled.

Suddenly, the Titan Lord smirked, reverting back to himself. He could see the affect he had on her. Her feelings were clear as day. She was still attracted to the boy, and her feelings were clouding her judgment. This could work to his advantage.

He turned around swiftly, leaving Annabeth to feel a rush of cold air. She glared at the King of Time as he chuckled. "You are too easily persuaded. You let your feelings rule you. I could easily kill you."

Annabeth, angry with his pompousness and smugness, glared daggers at him and sassed back, "You wouldn't have the _guts_ to kill me—"

Without a second thought, Kronos lunged back at her. He grabbed her neck with his long, slender fingers and slammed her back against the wall. His hand clenched around her neck as blood trickled down the side of her face. Annabeth whimpered and stared at him through hate-filled eyes as she grasped at his hand.

Kronos stared back with a snarl. His eyes were dark and evil. "_Don't_ test me, girl," he growled out, digging his fingers into her skin. He watched with slight pleasure as she cried out and tried to wrench his hand away.

Suddenly, there was a searing pain in his head, causing his knees to go weak and his hand to release his grip around Annabeth's neck. She fell to the floor, coughing and gasping for breath.

Just as quickly as the pain started, it was gone. Kronos let out a whoosh of breath as he stared down at the girl, trying to decipher what exactly just happened. He swallowed thickly, realizing he had hurt her (not like he really cared…).

He cleared his throat tensely, waved his hand to fix the wound he had bestowed upon her, and quickly strode out of the room with his scythe strapped to his back. He felt angry with himself for lashing out at her, but then he felt angry _because_ he was angry. He didn't show much mercy to anyone, especially the enemy. Yet he'd healed her (his form of an apology).

But she had been right. The thought of killing her was…horrifying.

Meanwhile, Annabeth could only stare after him in shock. Her hand crept to the back of her head where the cut had been made. There was nothing there. It was completely healed.

Annabeth sighed out and slowly stood up. That was the second time he had healed her. Only, she wasn't sure if _he _had done the healing, or if Luke had. She wanted to believe that it _was_ Luke acting through him, that he was still there. But he had to be, because the Titan Lord couldn't harbor feelings for her…right?

* * *

><p>Kronos stormed back to his throne, not necessarily from anger, but he just needed to get away to a place where he could be alone with his thoughts. It had shaken him, what had happened in the cell. He was able to figure out that she didn't hate him as much as she let on. But he also figured out that she <em>did<em> suppress Luke…to a point.

When he had felt…something in his stomach…Luke had been silent, almost like he was _letting_ him have these feelings. But then as soon as he lashed out…well, Luke had been the one to rein him back in. He'd caused the excruciating pain in his head.

Also, the Titan King had completely forgotten about discovering Jackson's weak spot as soon as he spotted her. She looked so pathetic in the room, like an orphan. And then, like earlier, an image of eight-year-old Annabeth flashed in his mind when Luke had seen her hiding in an alleyway. Kronos gritted his teeth and flopped down in his throne, rubbing his head wearily.

Of course, he still wasn't too sure as to why both Percy Jackson and Luke Castellan were entranced with this girl. He himself was obviously hooked as well, but he wasn't sure _why_. She didn't have any special abilities, she was pretty but not the most beautiful girl he'd seen, and she was annoying with her relentlessness.

But yet, he was pulled towards her. He was curious about her. If he'd paid more attention to Luke in earlier years, he probably would have looped Annabeth into joining their side like he'd done with Silena. She was peculiar, to say the least. He knew she had amazing intellect, what with being the daughter of Athena.

He sighed and tilted his head back to rest it against the golden throne. If it weren't for the evil aura or the scythe, anyone would've thought he was a normal teenage guy with normal teenage-guy problems. But the fact was that he was really a Titan—the King—and right now, his problems were with himself.

With a growl, he wrenched up from his position and stormed through the building, looking for Queen Sess. He needed to bait Jackson more, and he knew just how to do that.

* * *

><p>Percy was close to exhaustion. He had already fought Hyperion, and he had just finished off the huge pig. Now, they were fighting Kronos' troops. It was difficult to fight, knowing Annabeth was in the Titan King's clutches. However, Thalia seemed to always be there, reminding him that they were getting closer and closer to saving her.<p>

Before long, Kronos appeared on a golden chariot, coming from the east like the sun. Beside him was Annabeth, and she was tied up with her hands behind her back and her legs tied together. She wasn't getting away.

Kronos glanced down at her. She was searching the crowd frantically, certainly looking for Jackson. He rolled his eyes and turned back to look at said kid. Percy was glaring at the Titan Lord, but then he caught sight of Annabeth and relief seemed to shake him, knowing she was still alive.

Kronos stopped when they were about four car-lengths away. The King of Time chuckled amusedly. "Well, well, well, Jackson. Not too bad. I see you're holding up without your intellect."

Annabeth glared up at him and he merely smirked. He'd threatened her earlier so she wouldn't speak out of line. Plus, he could insult her and not get some trashy remark back.

Percy clenched his teeth, gripping Riptide. "Give her back."

Kronos snorted. "That's it? 'Give her back?' That's some poor bargaining."

Percy growled. "Enough with the games! Why do you want her?"

"Why else would I use a hostage? As bait."

Suddenly, he pulled out the scythe hanging on his back. The blades had been sharpened earlier, and Annabeth, eyes wide and her mouth ajar, stared up at in horror. Being five feet away from it made it that much scarier.

She whimpered as she felt the stone-cold blade settle against her neck. She didn't move, for fear it would cut her and ultimately kill her.

Percy went to lunge forward, but Thalia grabbed his arm just in time. "Don't!" she commanded. "He'll only kill her."

The Titan King looked at Thalia with something akin to glee. "Very good, Thalia Grace."

Thalia stiffened and glared back daggers. She let go of Percy. "On second thought, go ahead."

Kronos chuckled and pulled the blade away from Annabeth's neck. Annabeth sighed in relief and stared up at the Titan King. The powerful being glanced down and caught her eye for a second before quickly looking back to Jackson.

"Surrender, and you can have her back." He shrugged. "Keep fighting and…well, we'll see."

Annabeth let out a shaky breath. Percy, meanwhile, was having a battle with himself. He _needed_ to save Annabeth. She was everything to him. He always looked forward to spending some time with her, whether it was doing some rock climbing on the lava wall or fighting some of Kronos' army. Every moment with her was amazing, and he couldn't live without her.

But if he chose to surrender, he would give up on the whole_ world_. If he gave up, Kronos would overthrow the gods, come to full power, and eventually turn the world as he knew it into a wasteland. He certainly couldn't do that.

So there _had_ to be a way to save both. And he would figure it out.

He swallowed back the bitter taste in his mouth. "Listen Annabeth," he spoke, causing Annabeth's heart to stutter. "I had a dream, and Ethan suspects that Luke still resides in Kronos."

The Titan Lord schooled his face to look amused, but really he was furious. Those stupid demigods and their stupid dreams.

"But Annabeth…Luke's betrayed you so many times. I don't want him to hurt you anymore. You have to understand that I have to kill him. Luke was evil before any of this happened."

Annabeth, at first, had felt her heart cry out for him. Maybe he could help her, and they could get Luke back, _and_ stop Kronos and his army.

But then he said the last part and fury struck in Annabeth's stomach. She pursed her lips. "And you'll understand if I keep hoping there's a chance you're wrong."

Kronos froze. He glanced down at the girl beside him, who was glaring furiously at Jackson. Surprisingly, Jackson glared back for a second before looking away. He forced himself to focus, plastering a smirk on his face. "Well, this is an interesting turn of events. I see you're not going to give up, Jackson. I'll just have to end you the old fashioned way then."

Annabeth watched in horror as huge Hyperborean giants started to attack the demigods, her _friends_, and as Kronos' army continued their attack. She clenched her teeth and turned to glare at the Titan Lord.

Kronos glanced at her and rolled his eyes. "Oh don't give me that look. He chose this for himself—"

Suddenly, there was a loud, conch-like sound that echoed throughout the battlefield. Kronos stopped and narrowed his eyes, locating the source of the sound which Annabeth could not see. There was a loud rumbling sound like a stampede, and soon, the Party Ponies could be seen trampling through the streets, slashing down monsters and knocking down demigods.

Kronos growled and pulled back the reins on his skeletal horses. If he'd known about those damn centaurs, he would have brought more reinforcements.

_But I still have the girl,_ Kronos thought to himself. It was still a win, because now he could see that Percy Jackson was starting to lose his will power. He knew what he should do, but would his feelings for Annabeth prove too much and surrender? Only time would tell.

* * *

><p>Back at Aunty Em's Garden Gnome Emporium, things were not looking great. Annabeth, back in her cell sitting on the cool, damp floor, flinched at the loud crashes coming from down stairs. She could hear Kronos blasting things to pieces. She was glad she wasn't anywhere near him right now. Right now, he probably <em>would<em> kill her.

But that wasn't the heaviest thing on her mind. No, she was thinking back to what Percy said about his dream. She'd seen Luke in the recesses of his body, and now that she knew someone else suspected it, she only believed it even more. He could be saved somehow.

But Percy wanted to kill him. She clenched her fists together. Annabeth couldn't believe him. She was furious with him. She didn't believe him one bit when he said that Luke had been evil before any of this happened. He hadn't been there before Kronos. Luke had saved her, taken her and Thalia off the streets and started their own family.

The part of her that was fighting Percy, however, didn't want to realize that Luke really had been bitter about the gods, and that he had willingly taken on Kronos.

Back in the throne room, the Titan Lord was dismantling the place—a new hobby of his. Every time he tried baiting or engaging Jackson, he lucked out. The only time Kronos had actually won was when he kidnapped Annabeth, but even that was starting to prove a failure.

She was only distracting him. He couldn't determine what was right and wrong now. He wanted to kill her because really, he didn't need Jackson to see her anymore. _He_ didn't need her anymore. As long as Jackson was under the pretense she was alive, he could kill her and things would go back to normal. Hell, he'd probably win the war that way.

But Luke was stopping him, along with something else he was feeling. The thing, though, was that Annabeth _did_ hold feelings for him—mainly Luke, no doubt, but he was willing to be that she held something for the Titan King as well.

Without thinking, he stormed up the stairs to where the blonde-haired girl awaited. Time to put his theory to the final test.

He stormed into the cell, causing Annabeth to jump to her feet. She glared at him. Despite her anger for Percy at the moment, she was scared for his safety. Kronos merely ignored her. He threw his scythe down to the ground and ripped his armor off.

Annabeth watched with wide eyes as he threw another weapon down at her feet. It was her dagger, the one he'd confiscated when he captured her. Why had he kept it?

The Titan Lord spread his arms wide. Luke was silent in his head. Kronos licked his lips and locked eyes with the child of Athena.

"One shot. Take your dagger and see if you can find my Achilles Heel."

He watched her like a hawk, watching all the emotions glide across her face. Annabeth slowly bent over and picked up her dagger. She pulled it out of its sheath, grasping the familiar hilt as the bronze glinted at her. She glanced up Kronos, who was staring back with dark eyes, waiting.

Annabeth took a deep breath. This was it. She could end this and save the world. She could save _Percy_.

But as she stared at the Titan Lord, trying to step towards him, she hesitated. Looking at it from an intellectual point of view, the chances of her actually hitting his Achilles Heel were _very_ slim, especially with only one shot. But looking at it from an emotional point of view…if she _did_ hit his Achilles Heel, she would kill Luke.

She swallowed hard and turned away, grasping the dagger even harder. "I…can't."

Kronos stared at her for a second before the smirk came to his face. He let his arms fall to his side. He shook his head slightly. He wasn't all too surprised by her refusal, and now his theory was proven. Not only was Luke suppressed, but he knew for sure now that the girl was feeling _something_.

"I figured," he sighed, causing Annabeth's eyes to narrow. "You're too easy to read. I had you figured out from the very beginning."

She glared at him. "What are you talking about?" she asked harshly.

Kronos chuckled deep in his throat. "It's amusing, actually. I take over your crush's body, then I take you hostage while threatening your city and friends…and yet, you harbor feelings for me."

He stared at her with a victorious smirk. Annabeth blushed despite herself as her heart skipped a beat. She grimaced and crossed her arms. "What makes you think I would have feelings for _you?_" she asked angrily.

The Lord of Time took slow, thoughtful steps towards her. Annabeth swallowed hard, but didn't move. She would not give him the benefit of seeing her squirm.

He was circling her, but he stopped when he was behind her. He bent down to her ear and mumbled, "Your reactions."

Annabeth shivered from his low, husky voice, his warm breath washing across her face. Kronos chuckled at her shudder.

"You see? And it's not just my voice…" He ran his hands down her shoulders and arms slowly, entranced by the goose bumps that rose on her skin. "…But my touch, too."

Annabeth swallowed. This was becoming too much. She was getting to close, too deep. But she couldn't pull herself away, no matter how hard she tried. The dagger clattered to the ground loudly as her grip on it loosened. She felt herself melting into him. It was hard to step away because, even though it was Kronos, she was attracted to him and Luke's body. It was a deadly spot to be in.

Kronos trapped her to his body, wrapping his arms tight around her chest and stomach. He was entranced by her, the enticing smell of her lemon shampoo invading his senses. She was truly…amazing. She was always surprising him.

"You really are beautiful…Annabeth," he mumbled, her name rolling off his tongue. Annabeth felt her stomach flip. She swallowed thickly, glancing back over her shoulder with glazed eyes to stare into Kronos' golden eyes. They were dark and clouded as he stared back at her.

Without really thinking, Kronos lowered his head and Annabeth, despite herself, closed her eyes expectantly. Just as his lips brushed over hers, there was a knock on the cell door, shattering the silence engulfing them.

Annabeth blinked rapidly. The two stared at each other, both shocked by the turn of events. Licking his lips, Kronos stepped away, untangling his arms from her. He felt a pit of disgust at being so intimate with a moral, but it didn't last long as it was slowly replaced with wonder and…curiosity.

Annabeth swallowed hard and stared at the almighty being, who looked just as lost as she felt. She couldn't believe she had just done that. If she didn't watch herself, she'd fall victim to Stockholm Syndrome.

Kronos suddenly straightened up. He pulled his armor on and grabbed his scythe, turning away from Annabeth without saying anything. He opened the door to reveal Ethan.

"Sir, the army is ready whenever you are," he reported. Annabeth had no clue what he was talking about, she didn't really register anything. She was still too shocked that she had kissed the Titan Lord.

Kronos glanced back at Annabeth with guarded eyes. "Good," he answered calmly. "Let's move out, then."

Ethan nodded. "Yes sir." He gave the two a strange look before disappearing down the hall.

Kronos continued to stare at her. "We're leaving," he said without any emotion. Just as he said that, two _dracaena_ appeared, slithering and hissing in the room. Without another word, he slipped out of the room to oversee the move.

Annabeth, meanwhile, glared at the _dracaena_. She was about to move towards them—her escorts, she deduced—before she remembered something. She bent down and picked up her bronze weapon, staring at it.

He hadn't taken it back.

* * *

><p><strong>Some KronosAnnabeth moments...Hmm...I love writing Kronos! He's fun to write. I thought it would be really hard, but it's actually really easy. <strong>

**Things are becoming complicated for Kronos now. Will Annabeth fall for him and Luke? Next chapter is the LAST ONE! It will probably be a really long one too, longer than the first chapter. **

**Thanks for reading and review please! Also check out my poll and go vote!**

**-Akatsuki Child**


	3. Part 3

**Wow. I haven't written anything in a long time. I decided that I was going to try to finish this though since this was the shortest one to finish. Thanks to all my readers who reviewed and continued to encourage me to write! I know I said this was going to be the last chapter, but there's too much that has to happen yet and I couldn't fit it all in one chapter. So here's the next part of Reactions! Enoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO!**

* * *

><p>Recap:<p>

_Annabeth, meanwhile, glared at the dracaena. She was about to move towards them—her escorts, she deduced—before she remembered something. She bent down and picked up her bronze weapon, staring at it._

_He hadn't taken it back._

**Reactions**

**Part 3**

Percy sat on the couch in the plaza's lounge. He was trying to get some rest, but he just couldn't fall asleep. Annabeth was still on his mind. Their exchange today irked him. It was almost like she was… defending Kronos. He knew that she still held some feelings for Luke, but did she honestly believe he could be saved? Luke was gone. Dionysus had said so himself.

"_Kronos has not yet attained full power. The body of the mortal was only a temporary measure."_

"_We kind of guessed that."_

"_And did you also guess that within a day at most, Kronos will burn away that mortal body and take on the true form of a Titan King?"_

"_But that would mean…"_

"_Kronos would be ten times more powerful. His very presence would incinerate you. And once he achieves this, he will empower the other Titans."_

Percy shuddered, remembering his little chat with the wine god. If they don't stop Kronos now…there isn't going to be a mortal body left. He'll burn up Luke's body in favor of his true form. Once he does that…

He'll be unstoppable.

* * *

><p>Annabeth wasn't very happy. Besides the whole "captured by the enemy" thing, she was having a crap day. She had been slammed against a wall (but then the wound had been healed by the man who'd given it to her), forced to sleep in a cold, damp cell…and she fell for the enemy, the man who'd captured her and was threatening to destroy everything she knew and loved.<p>

She was currently standing at the top of the United Nations building with Kronos, Prometheus, Ethan, and a few _dracaenae _guards, one of them hissing at her occasionally and poking her with a spear. Annabeth grimaced and ignored her as best as she could. She watched as Kronos paced in front of them, swinging his deadly sharp scythe around wildly without any predictable trajectory. The others made sure to stay out of slicing range.

Kronos was in deep thought, thinking about this war and its developments. Percy Jackson was still unrelenting. He was still trying to fight for those pathetic gods, still trying to save Olympus. The Titan King glanced back at Annabeth, noticing her eyes on him. He sighed to himself and looked away. Even capturing her was proving to be useless.

He wasn't sure what to do with her. He was torn between keeping her and letting her go. It seemed that she was useless now. There was no point in using her as bait anymore since Jackson obviously wasn't going for it. But at the same time, he couldn't kill her. His newly developed feelings—and Luke's resistance—were starting to cloud his judgment. However, he stillcouldn't bring himself to rid of her permanently. She was too…intriguing.

As he thought it over, the Titan Lord was rather suspicious of the girl. No doubt she was very smart, what being a child of Athena. But even he could see that she was extraordinary, taking her intellectual abilities to the next level. He knew that someone like her always had a plan, whether it be fully laid out or half-assed. He was curious as to why she hadn't tried escaping yet.

He hardly believed—though he desperately wished it were true—that she was too frightened of him to dare make a move. She may have been in his captive, but she was still cunning and wise, exactly like her mother. She was also very brave (that much was proven when she dared to question his cowardice on killing her). If she ever found a chance or thought of an escape route, he was sure she would take it (no matter that he's Kronos, an all-powerful Titan, instead of, say, a Cyclops).

She must have had something up her sleeve, something she was planning. He just didn't know what.

He growled slightly, shaking his head of her. "I hate this place," he mumbled. "_United Nations_. As if mankind could ever unite."

Prometheus, meanwhile, was having a hard time grasping what exactly his lord was doing. He was starting to become uncertain of him and his abilities to win this war. Yes, he was powerful enough to take down this entire country, let alone Olympus. However, he was in a position of limitations, and he didn't just mean physical limitations.

Yes, he was in a human body. Humans needed rest, and they needed more time to recover. They were one of the most vulnerable creatures to ever live—one of the most vulnerable creatures that he'd ever created—yet they were always finding ways to survive and adapt (he vaguely acknowledged that this was partially his fault for giving them fire). But Prometheus knew that Kronos was too focused on getting to the Olympians and destroying them. He was too blinded to realize exactly how easy it was to take down the gods.

Besides that, there was the Chase girl to consider. The Titan's eyes wandered over to said girl. Her usually perfect curls and golden blonde hair was full of grit and dirt in a ratty mess around her shoulders. Her body was slumped from exhaustion and there was dirt covering her face. Her stance made it clear that she had suffered more injuries since being in their grasp. However, she kept her face free of emotions. She was unreadable. He could only see her annoyance with the guards. As far as he could see, she was not afraid or even angry.

And that's when he knew that something big was going to happen.

"Remind me to tear down this building after we destroy Olympus," Kronos spoke, breaking Prometheus from his alarming thoughts.

Prometheus' lips twitched into a smile, both from amusement and hysteria—amusement at his lord's request…hysteria from his revelations. "Yes, lord," he answered. "Shall we tear down the stables in Central Park too?" he continued sarcastically. He hadn't meant to, but the epiphany made him bubble with nervousness. "I know how much horses can annoy you."

Kronos threw a glare his way. "Don't mock me, Prometheus," he growled. "Those damn centaurs will be sorry they interfered."

The Titan Lord stopped in his deadly scythe-swinging. He stared out at his army of rogue demigods and monsters. They were all fighting for one cause: the fall of the gods. He knew that most of the demigods had their own intentions, their own plans of revenge. But that was no matter to him. As long as they didn't interfere with his plans to destroy Jackson and Olympus, then he was fine with a little more evil on the sides.

Speaking of that…he had a little something on the sides that he needed to take care of. Once again, Kronos found his eyes wandering towards Annabeth. He watched as she clenched her fists at her sides as the _dracaena _guard hissed with laughter after having poked her with the butt of her spear. Kronos chuckled amusedly. She was exactly like Luke had remembered…

Kronos clenched his teeth. He still hadn't come to a decision on what to do with her. Gods, did he want to be rid of her. But she was one thing that was keeping Jackson's nerves frayed. And of course, he couldn't exactly kill her. His head was filled with the internal battle from his own feelings against Luke's. They mingled together, meeting at a single point that resulted in his confusion, frustration, and uncertainty. He needed to deal with her, and he needed to do it as soon as possible. Right now, he needed something to preoccupy not only Jackson's side, but his own army as well. Something not too big, but something that would take a while to handle and control. He needed some time to take care of his trouble.

"It is time to unleash the drakon," he spoke suddenly, almost in a trance-like mood. "Nakamura, you will do that." The boy, he knew, would be the best to handle this. Plus, he especially needed to make sure he stayed away from Kronos. If what Jackson said was true, and Ethan really was suspecting Luke's presence…

"Y-yes, lord," Ethan stumbled, rearranging his eye patch. "At sunset?"

"No." Kronos narrowed his eyes. "Immediately. Jackson's army is wounded and at its low. They will not expect another quick attack. Now go."

Ethan gave a quick bow and then hurried off, throwing a last glare at Annabeth.

The daughter of Athena rolled her eyes as Ethan disappeared to gods-know-where. She was really starting to get pissed with these guards, and if she didn't watch herself, she was going to attack them and have a whole legion of monsters and demigods on her. Quite frankly, she was getting uncomfortable being in the open like this on enemy lines. She couldn't ignore the cold, dead looks she would sometimes catch from the odd demigod who happened to look towards their little group at the front of the plaza. Ignoring it as best as she could, she turned her attention to Kronos.

She couldn't believe she'd kissed him.

What the hell was she thinking? She was fraternizing with the enemy! She was betraying her friends and family fighting against him and his army!

She was betraying Percy.

Truth was, she held feelings for Kronos…Luke…She didn't know anymore. She was getting so confused. It was Luke's body, and Luke was possibly residing in the recesses of his mind. But…it was Kronos who mainly controlled Luke's body now. Kronos was the one making these decisions (healing her, throwing her dagger at her and demanding she try to kill him, kissing her…).

The blonde shook her head. That kiss, no matter how brief, was a huge mistake. Yes, she'd given in to it. She'd willingly allowed him to continue, knowing his intentions probably before he even knew himself. She felt disgusted at allowing him to wrap his arms around her and get so intimate with her. How could she allow it?

And yet, she found herself constantly looking towards him, feeling her chest and stomach tingle from where his arms had been. She wanted to be near him, no matter how wrong it was.

It made her sick.

While Annabeth continued to battle with herself, Prometheus was also doing some hard thinking. Honestly, he would kill Annabeth himself if it meant getting Kronos to think straight again. The Titan of Forethought knew that the only reason Kronos was having doubts and showing signs of uncertainty was because of her presence. Something had happened between the two—he really didn't want to know—but somehow, she'd gotten into his head.

It wasn't hard to see. Whether or not he liked it, Kronos was an open book. Most evil over-lords and masters of evil were. Cunning, yes, but also easy to read. All Prometheus had to do was watch the Titan King for five minutes and he would see Kronos glancing back towards the child of Athena from time to time, eying her whole body before blinking and snapping his head away from her. He would subconsciously look towards her when he was stuck thinking on a problem, like he was hoping she would tell him the solution.

Prometheus grimaced. This girl was clouding Kronos' judgment. He didn't like it. Not one bit.

"This is dangerous, my lord," Prometheus spoke up nervously yet quietly, glancing warily at Annabeth. "Do not be hasty."

Kronos turned his glare onto the Titan. "Hasty?" he repeated just as quietly. He slowly stepped towards Prometheus, studying him for any signs of what he was thinking. "After festering and waiting for three thousand years, you dare call me _hasty_?"

Prometheus held his chin up, his gaze steely and even. "Thrice you've fought him," he mentioned, "and each time you've said it is beneath a Titan to fight a mere mortal. I wonder if your mortal host—among other things—is influencing you…"

He trailed off, glancing towards Annabeth again. Kronos, ever observant, noticed this immediately and his gaze swept over to the girl briefly from the corner of his eye. Annabeth, who was too preoccupied with trying to fend off the _dracaenae_, didn't notice the exchange the two Titans were having.

Kronos licked his lips, looking away from Annabeth to the steely gaze of Prometheus. "Never," he spoke calmly. "I'm in control of this body. The boy is merely a nuisance. He'll be destroyed by the end of tomorrow."

"And the girl…?"

Prometheus knew that he was treading on thin ice. A few wrong words and he'd be back in Hades, facing that horrid vulture.

The Titan King's gaze grew cold and hard. "She's none of your concern. Do your duties and assemble the army."

With that, he turned and strode away towards the UN building, the guards roughly pushing Annabeth forward after him. Prometheus bit the inside of his cheek. Something was definitely changing in the Titan Lord. He was losing his drive to destroy the gods.

But Prometheus had no choice. He'd made his decision to stick with Kronos.

And how unwise it was.

* * *

><p>When the guards finally gave Annabeth one last shove into the main conference room of the UN building, she couldn't be happier to get away from those annoying creatures. She gave a small sigh of relief as their hissing died down after they left the room, shutting the doors.<p>

However, she felt the nerves creep into her stomach when she looked around the room and saw that she was alone with the Titan Lord.

Kronos was standing with his back to her. His shoulders were tense and he still had a firm grip on his scythe, his knuckles turning white and the tendons in his forearms bulging. It was easy to tell that he was extremely pissed.

She shifted on her feet nervously, unsure of why she was here or what he wanted with her. He stood there for what seemed like a long time, unspeaking. The silence between them thickened with tension, slowly growing and suffocating Annabeth. She was sure he wasn't going to speak, and she started to build up the nerve to speak first. But finally, he acknowledged her.

"I don't understand," he spoke quietly, his voice tinged with curiosity, disbelief, and incredulousness.

Annabeth stared at the Titan. She didn't say anything as he slowly turned around to stare at her, his molten eyes staring into her gray stormy ones. She felt her stomach flutter with butterflies and her throat go dry.

"First, I take the body of the boy you once loved and adored," he continued, still watching her like a hawk. "Then, I take you hostage while trying to kill your current _lover_, Percy Jackson." He had said _lover_ with such disgust that Annabeth couldn't help but huff in annoyance, crossing her arms indignantly.

"Well first off—"

"And yet," he interrupted like she had never spoken, "you harbor feelings for me."

Annabeth felt her face slowly heat up. She clenched her teeth together and turned her body slightly away from him. She stared towards her feet, avoiding eye contact to save her from any further embarrassment.

"T-that's not true," she defied quietly. Kronos just smirked and started walking towards her, like a predator stalking its prey right before the kill. He threw his scythe onto the table as she backed away from him, tripping over a chair and nearly falling flat on her face.

Kronos successfully cornered her, watching with smug satisfaction as her back hit the wall. She squeaked and tried to escape by sidestepping, but he was too quick for her. His arms shot out on either side of her, trapping her between his arms. She had nowhere to run now. She had to face her demons.

"Liar," he muttered, bearing down on her. His face was inches away from hers, his scent washing down and invading her senses. His body heat was seeping into her clothes to her cool body, causing goose bumps to rise on her skin.

Kronos wasn't sure what he was doing. He was fully convinced that all of this was Luke's doing. But he knew that he was in control of the body now. Luke was dead silent, almost nonexistent. So it was he himself who was causing her to tremble. He was the cause of her affection for him.

Interesting.

Annabeth was scared. She was afraid of what he was thinking. She could see the wheels turning, his dark golden eyes scanning her face. But she was also afraid of what might happen. If he kissed her again…she wasn't sure she would stop him.

So it was surprising, yet completely expected, when Kronos leaned down and kissed Annabeth for the second time.

It was rough and forceful, causing Annabeth to gasp. He pushed his tongue past her lips and grasped her shoulders hard, his fingers digging into her skin painfully. Despite the intensity of the kiss, Annabeth found her heart pounding hard in her chest and her skin to tingle and ignite on fire. It was weird feeling these sensations—from Kronos, the Titan King.

Kronos was acting purely on instinct. He hadn't felt these kinds of feelings for a long time—and from a mortal, no less. He liked this feeling, though, despite the fact that, technically, she was the enemy. And so, he continued kissing her, pushing his body against hers. He felt her tiny hands grasp the front of his coat. She leant into him for just a second, before her whole body went rigid and stiff.

Her lips froze. Kronos noticed after a second and stopped kissing her. He felt a small smirk twitch into place as he pulled back to look into Annabeth's shocked, confused gaze. She stared at nothing, her knuckles turning white from clutching his coat so hard.

At that moment, Kronos knew for sure that he had broken through to her. He'd gotten into her head, and now she was definitely feeling _something_ for him. He knew he could use this to his advantage whenever he saw Jackson again. He could tear Jackson apart, strip him bare and finish him off once and for all. His plan would succeed…hopefully.

Because though he knew he'd gotten into her mind, the question was…had she gotten into his head as well?

* * *

><p>Silena was dead. She was gone. Lifeless. Dead.<p>

That sick bastard Kronos had used her from the beginning. He'd even been using Luke then as well. Kronos had tricked Silena into being his spy.

Had Beckendorf known? Had he had any idea of who Silena was—unwillingly—working for? Something told Percy that he hadn't known, otherwise he would have done everything in his power to help her. He would have told Chiron, and they—including Percy himself—would have helped to find a way to make her safe.

But they were too late. If anything, grief had driven her to death. She'd knowingly donned the Ares armor and stepped up against the drakon. She was ready to die to save hundreds of lives. She was a hero.

Still, that didn't account for what Kronos had done to her. Reeling in Silena, kidnapping Annabeth…he needed to be stopped, Luke or no Luke. He was a mad man unable to show mercy. If he didn't stop Kronos now…who knew how much time Annabeth had left.

Percy stood outside of the plaza where their base was. He was staring towards Kronos' base, imagining himself striding in and taking Annabeth back. He would break through their ranks, destroying anyone who tried to stop him. He would return with her, back to the safety of their camp.

If only it was that easy.

He just wished this whole war was over with. He wished it had never happened, that Luke wouldn't have turned bad. Everyone would be safe. However, Percy also knew that if none of this had ever happened, he wouldn't have found the place where he belonged. He wouldn't have found his best friends or even his father.

A life without Annabeth…it was _so hard_ to imagine. She'd become a permanent part of his life. He couldn't even fathom his world without her. But he knew he had to face the possibility that she could be gone. He could only imagine what Kronos was putting her through, all the pain and misery.

Just the thought made Percy's anger spike. But there was one, little hope that Percy had. One that he hated to admit. If Ethan Nakamura really believed that Luke was still residing in Kronos…well there was hope that he would be able to influence Kronos enough to keep Annabeth safe. Percy didn't trust Luke, but right now, he didn't really have a choice.

The son of Poseidon sighed, running a hand through his messy black hair. He turned to enter the palace, only to met by Thalia. She gave him a grim look. "You should go to Olympus with Grover," she suggested, "to set up the final defense. My Hunters and I will help you stand guard."

Percy simply nodded. He watched as she walked towards one of the other Hunters, relaying some sort of message. Percy gave one last look towards the Titan army's base. He had a strange feeling that this war was coming to a close, and it wasn't going to be pretty.

* * *

><p>Annabeth was still frozen in shock, trapped beneath the Titan lord. How could she allow herself to be in this position? She was betraying everything she'd ever known! Her head was telling her this was awful and that she was a traitor. She didn't deserve to back to her friends. But her body was telling her that this was okay. She liked this feeling of being so close to Kronos.<p>

"Annabeth…" he mumbled. Her name rolled off his tongue in a way that made said girl shiver. His breath washed over her face, his body heat continuing to seep to her skin. Her breathing sped up as her eyes drifted up towards his own. He was staring at her with a peculiar expression, one that Annabeth couldn't quite place.

Suddenly, he chuckled, deep and low, while taking a step back from her. His arms dropped to his side as a handsome smile adorned his face. "You are a mystery to me," he confessed, his voice tinged with frustration and amusement.

Annabeth blinked. She wasn't sure what to say, how to respond to that. She was shocked, to say the least. However, she didn't have to think for long because, just then, the door to the conference room slammed open and there stood Ethan Nakamura.

The boy sent Annabeth a look full of hatred before he bowed before Kronos. "My lord," he spoke, his voice trembling slightly. "The drakon…is dead. And…"

When Ethan didn't continue, Kronos growled. "Do not waste my time, boy," he spat.

Ethan swallowed. "Silena Beauregard is dead, Sir."

Annabeth froze. Had she heard that right? Silena was…Oh no. Not Silena. That couldn't be right. Silena would never get in the fight. She was too grief-stricken over Beckendorf.

But wait. Why was this such a big deal to Kronos?

At the news, Kronos merely sighed. "That's too big," he said, "she was a valuable asset." He didn't sound too sorry about this new information. In fact, Kronos wasn't worried about it. She had been resisting helping them ever since that damned Beckendorf came along. He'd had to use some persuasive methods to get her to cooperate. Now it was just one less problem to worry about.

Annabeth didn't like this one bit. She was remembering what Percy said, that there was a possibility of a spy. The thing is, they couldn't peg it on one person, and they had no idea how that person could have been communicating with Kronos, so they could never really prove that theory. However, what Kronos said about being a "valuable asset…"

No.

"She was the spy…" Annabeth whispered in shock.

Kronos looked back at her and gave her a smirk. "You really are a child of Athena."

Annabeth glared harshly at him. "You used Luke's looks to get her to agree to this, didn't you? She had always been attracted to him. She would have done anything to get his attention. So you…" She stopped and shook her head. Fury was building up in her, causing her fists to clench. Her hand twitched towards her dagger.

Kronos rolled his eyes. "Oh, don't act so surprised. I'm the Titan Lord, not your precious Percy Jackson. Silena knew what she was doing. She chose it."

Annabeth continued to glare harshly at him. She couldn't believe she had actually thought that…She felt vile that she had kissed him. Twice. Gods, how could she be so stupid? Kronos didn't have any feelings. He only cared about his own plans. He wasn't Luke. He was Kronos, the evil Titan Lord threatening to overtake Olympus.

She really was an idiot.

Kronos decided to ignore her angry, calculating look. He turned towards Ethan Nakamura, grabbing his scythe from the table. "Round up the troops," he ordered. "We're heading towards Olympus. We're going to end this, once and for all."

* * *

><p><strong>I actually had about three-fourths of this chapter done a few months ago. I just had to finish it and last night I had the strange urge and inspiration to write. So I did. I hope you liked it! There's one last chapter with the conclusion of the war and a few more interactions between Kronos and Annabeth. <strong>

**Thanks for reading and review please!**

**-Akatsuki Child**


End file.
